Power did not arrive quietly.
It screamed.
The Oval Office was no longer just a room. It was a battlefield wrapped in polished wood and history. Phones rang nonstop. Advisors whispered urgently. Screens across the walls showed markets stabilizing, protests forming, foreign leaders issuing statements that were carefully polite and dangerously vague.
Ethan Cole stood at the center of it all.
Calm.
Too calm.
The system pulsed softly in his vision.
[Authority synchronization at 91 percent.]
[Public confidence trending upward.]
[Hostile intent escalating.]
He exhaled slowly and turned to Director Evelyn Ross.
"Who moves first?" he asked.
Evelyn studied him, really studied him this time. Not the accidental president. Not the mystery heir. A man learning how to sit on a throne made of pressure.
"Someone always tests a new ruler," she said. "The question is how loud they want to be."
The answer came immediately.
An alarm screamed through the White House.
Red lights flashed.
"Code Black," a voice shouted over the intercom. "Unidentified threat perimeter breach."
The system reacted before panic could take hold.
[Threat detected.]
[Assassination probability: High.]
[Emergency response unlocked.]
[Military asset authorization granted.]
[Special reward triggered.]
[Elite Protection Unit deployed.]
Ethan felt it again.
That pull.
Like invisible strings tightening across the nation.
Somewhere nearby, men moved because he existed.
Secret Service agents flooded the room, weapons drawn, forming a wall of bodies between Ethan and the doors. The air thickened with tension.
Evelyn's hand brushed his arm briefly as she leaned close. "Stay behind me."
The system chimed.
[Romance interaction detected.]
[Trust increased.]
[Buff applied.]
[Effect: Emotional stability plus 10 percent.]
A sharp crack echoed outside.
Glass shattered somewhere down the hall.
Screams followed.
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Status," he demanded.
A general voice barked through the chaos. "Sniper attempt neutralized. Secondary targets moving."
The system flooded his vision with tactical overlays.
[Battlefield awareness enabled.]
[Enemy count: 4.]
[Threat level: Moderate.]
[Recommended action: Authorize lethal response.]
His heartbeat slowed.
For the first time, he understood something terrifying.
This decision was his.
"Authorize," Ethan said quietly.
The words felt heavier than any amount of money.
[Command accepted.]
[Military obedience confirmed.]
Minutes passed like hours.
Then silence.
A final notification appeared.
[Threat eliminated.]
[Casualties: Zero.]
[Reward issued.]
[Authority reinforcement.]
[Cash bonus: 2,000,000,000 USD.]
[Public sympathy increase.]
Ethan closed his eyes briefly.
Two billion dollars for surviving an assassination attempt.
This system did not reward morality.
It rewarded survival.
As the White House returned to a controlled frenzy, another alert appeared.
[Special sign in opportunity available.]
SIGN IN
Ethan did not hesitate.
[Sign in successful.]
[Day Three Reward Bundle.]
[Private Military Contractor acquired.]
[Name: Sentinel Group.]
[Personnel: 3,200.]
[Loyalty: Absolute.]
[Global deployment capability unlocked.]
A general beside him stiffened.
"Sir," he said slowly, "we just received confirmation. Sentinel Group has formally pledged exclusive loyalty to you."
Ethan nodded once.
"Good."
The doors opened again.
Alexandra Pierce entered as if chaos did not exist, heels clicking softly against the floor, her expression composed and curious.
"So," she said lightly, "I hear someone tried to kill you."
Ethan met her gaze. "Unsuccessfully."
Her smile sharpened. "I like effective men."
The system chimed immediately.
[Romance path intensified.]
[Alliance reward unlocked.]
[Corporate merger option available.]
[Reward preview.]
[Additional cash flow: 500,000,000 USD monthly.]
[Political influence bonus.]
Ethan gestured for her to sit.
Outside, the world reeled.
Inside, deals were already being made.
But the system was not finished.
A final message appeared, darker than the rest.
[Hidden condition revealed.]
[Heir progression milestone approaching.]
[Next phase: Global dominance.]
[Warning.]
[Ancient stakeholders are observing.]
Ethan leaned back in the presidential chair, eyes steady, hands relaxed.
Let them watch.
He had already survived New York.
The world would be easier.